The present invention relates generally to tiltable chairs, and in particular, to a synchrotilt chair having an adjustable seat, backrest and armrests.
Chairs of the type typically used in offices and the like are usually configured to allow tilting of the seat and backrest as a unit, or to permit tilting of the backrest relative to the seat. In chairs having a backrest pivotally attached to a seat in a conventional manner, the movement of the backrest relative to the seat can create shear forces which act on the legs and back of the user, and which can also create an uncomfortable pulling of the user's shirt, commonly called "shirt-pull."
To enhance the user's comfort and to promote ergonomically healthy seating, synchro-tilt chairs provide for the seat and backrest to tilt simultaneously, but at different rates, preferably with the back tilting at a greater rate than the seat. Normally, synchro-tilt chairs employ compression and/or tension springs, torsion springs and/or torsion bars to bias the seat and back upwardly and to counterbalance the rearward tilting of the user. Chairs using these types of springs can have various limitations associated with the type of spring used therein.
For example, the proper placement of compression springs and/or torsion springs within the chair can often require a large or bulky housing with associated aesthetic limitations. Moreover, the ride, or resistive force experienced by the user, may be unsatisfactory because spring rates associated with compression springs are not linear and tend to increase as the spring bottoms out. In addition, the cost of manufacturing the chair, due to the placement of the springs and the introduction of additional load bearing elements, can be increased. This problem can be exacerbated when two or more springs are used in the chair. Moreover, synchrotilt chairs typically provide for the spring to act on one of the seat or back support, and for the force to then be transferred to the other through a pivotal attachment, which can require additional load carrying capabilities.
Furthermore, inconsistencies in the performance of compression and torsion springs, and the longevity thereof, can often be traced to the inherent properties of steel, which is typically used to make such springs. For example, steel is subjected to the problem of "creep" and various inconsistencies introduced during the manufacture of the steel and the subsequent heat-treating processes. Moreover, because of the requisite size of the springs, the mechanisms used to adjust the amount of initial resistive compression can be difficult to activate, and can be progressively more difficult to adjust as higher settings are reached.
Chairs employing torsion bars may experience similar limitations. For example, the length and diameter of the bar is dictated by the range of movement and force output desired, and the desire to avoid overstressing the spring. Often, relatively heavy and highly stressed bars of great length are required to provide the control necessary to adequately support a user. Thus, the shape and associated aesthetics of the chair are dictated by the size of the spring. In addition, the chair must be provided with load-bearing elements at the ends of the bar and at the point of adjustment. Moreover, as with compression and torsion springs, activation or adjustment mechanisms used to achieve a desired initial pretorque setting can be difficult to manipulate, and can become increasingly so as higher settings are reached.
Leaf springs can also be used to support the user in the chair. However, leaf springs are typically clamped at one or more ends of the spring, usually by passing a bolt or like fastener through the spring. This is especially true when the leaf spring is configured as a cantilever similar to a diving board. Holes in the spring can introduce stress risers, however, and clamping one or more ends, as opposed to having them simply supported, introduces indeterminate moments and resultant stresses in the spring which may not be evenly distributed. Moreover, the resistive force of many leaf springs, including cantilevered springs, is often adjusted by varying the prestress of the spring through bending. As with the other springs described above, such an adjustment mechanism can be difficult to activate, and becomes progressively more so as higher settings are reached.
It is also desirable to provide a chair that can be adjusted to accommodate the various needs and sizes of the user. In particular, it is desirable to provide a chair having an adjustable backrest, adjustable armrests, and an adjustable seat depth.
The typical approach to adjustably supporting a backrest is to provide a single, centered spline, which can be located internally or externally to the backrest cushion, or like support. Typically, such a spline is linear so as to allow for adjustment of the backrest. However, it is often desirable to provide contours in the backrest of the chair so as to conform to the shape of the user's back. When the spline is located inside the backrest, the assembly is necessarily thick to accommodate the spline and desired contour. In addition, the backrest must itself be structural, and securely attached to the spline with tight tolerances, to provide lateral support for the user on the outer edges of the backrest and to avoid a feeling of sloppiness. Moreover, if armrests are desired, they must typically be positioned on separate supports projecting from the seat or from beneath the chair, since the spline centered backrest is usually structurally unable to support the large loads imparted on the armrests by a user along the sides of the backrest. When adjustable, such armrest supports often house complex and expensive to manufacture height adjustment mechanisms.
Furthermore, synchrotilt chairs typically provide pivot axes and links along the sides of the chair. Mechanically, there is an advantage to give the driven links input (occupant) and output forces (e.g., springs) as great a relative "stance" as possible. As a result, the use of a centered spline can result in a control that feels less "lively" when the occupant is not centered. Additionally, centered spline chairs often provide an adjustment mechanism adjacent the spline at the center of the back, which can be difficult to access, especially by a seated occupant when the backrest is in a lowermost position.